


Breaking Point

by Keicai



Category: Ed Edd n Eddy
Genre: M/M, child grooming, dub-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-25
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 03:08:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/857064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keicai/pseuds/Keicai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eddy's older brother takes a dangerous interest in Edd as he stays with them for the holidays, leading to a relationship that no one, not even Eddy or Kevin, can seem to save Edd from.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic co-written by Nori (noribouu.tumblr.com) and myself (keicai.tumblr.com). This is a Bro/Edd fic. IT WILL GET VERY GRAPHIC. Please be warned. I will make sure to tag each chapter for trigger warnings (there will be many) and make as clear as possible how graphic each chapter is. This will not be a fluffy, happy fic. Please be prepared. 
> 
> Also, we gave Eddy's older brother a name: Eugene. We thought it fit him well and kept with the 'E' thing.

Christmas. 

It was Christmas and yet again Edd's parents were out of town, on a business trip, somewhere far away. Somewhere not Peach Creek. And so, yet again, Edd was home alone for the holidays. After the last 3 years of the same thing one would think the young teen would have gotten used to it by now. 

Yet, he hadn't. 

So, when he got the invitation from Eddy's family to stay with them for a few days over Christmas, he readily accepted. He was tired of apologies and guidelines via post-it notes and wrapped gifts that read 'DO NO OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS', all of which he heeded because he somehow thought if he obeyed it would make his parents stay home for more than a week or two at a time. 

It never did.  
-  
Eddy smiled as he looked over his phone, actually kind of happy about the Holiday. It had been a long time since he felt alright with the idea of his entire family being together. But, that was mainly due to the fact that he had gotten his parents to agree to let Double D stay with them. He grinned to himself as he remembered his mother's words, something about how a 'charming young man shouldn't be alone on Christmas.' He had agreed with her and was sort of surprised that his dad was okay with it. He just knew with Sockhead there the next few days were going to be way more tolerable. Fingers quickly glided over the glass screen of his phone as he typed out his text, biting his lip anxiously.

**EDDY: Double D are you on your way yet?? I can't HANDLE this shit right now.**  
-  
Edd had spent the last hour carefully folding and tucking clothes into his suitcase to take to Eddy's. Even though the other boys’ house was just down the street, Edd wasn't too keen to return to his empty, sticky-note covered house until he had to. 

Just as he was folding up the proper amount of underwear for his stay (the number of days of stay + 3, just in case) his phone buzzed from its place on his desk. Quickly he reached over and grabbed the thin, most-up-to-date-money-could-buy device, swiping his thumb over the screen to unlock it and read the text. With a smile he sent a short, calculated reply, his fingers moving slower than most over the screen. 

**EDD: Just a few more things to pack. ETA 15 minutes.**

It really had been so kind of Eddy's mom to think of him and allow him to stay. He wished he had time to get her a gift before arriving. That seemed the proper thing to do.  
-  
Eddy scowled lightly at his phone. He had no idea what ‘ETA’ meant. But that didn’t really matter. His nerves were getting to him. Any minute now his brother was going to show up and he REALLY wanted Double D to be there before that douche bag showed up. It wasn't until he heard the front door bell ring and his mothers’ gasp of 'surprise' that he groaned out loud. He didn't come out of his room to greet the man. He didn't want to. Instead he remained in his bed, texting a ‘Merry Christmas’ back to Ed before burying his face into the pillow. A soft knock on his door leading to the backyard had him jumping from his bed. Quickly he slid the door open and took the skinny teen into his arms.  
"Fucking FINALLY! You have no idea how long I have been waiting."

The overenthusiastic way that Eddy hugged him took Edd by surprise at first, making him laugh a little. 

"I apologize for taking so long," he replied, patting Eddy on the back before slipping from his grasp so that he could set his suitcase down. "I appreciate you and your family allowing me to stay here for a few days. It gets quite lonely with mother and father gone so often." 

The darker haired teen smiled at his friend. As they grew older sleepovers had become less frequent so it felt good to return to them, despite the circumstances. This room felt more like home to Edd at times than his own did and he settled in quickly by taking a seat on Eddy's bed. 

"Does your family have any plans for today?"

"I heard mom going on about going to church but you know that's not going to happen," Eddy replied, settling himself next the sockhead teen. "Dad is going to be fighting with Grandma about god knows what and then there's....Eugene." 

He said his name with such a disgusted face, almost as if just the sound of it left a bad taste in his mouth. 

"Hopefully he'll stay in his room the whole time getting drunk off of Dad's whiskey and leave us alone." Eddy said with a sigh, he knew sounded bitter. But he couldn't help it. All those years living in his brother's shadow and then to be literally beaten in front of his friends...

Who could blame him?

Edd's brows furrowed when Eddy mentioned his brother. He knew the other didn't like his brother and for good reason; the last time Edd himself had seen him was that fateful day he had first met the older man and he had mistaken Edd for Eddy's girlfriend. He hadn't realized that Eugene would be staying with them too, though looking back Edd chastised himself for not being more logical in figuring that conclusion. Maybe the other had changed? He hoped as much, for Eddy's sake. He so hated to see his dear friend in distress.

 

Eddy tried to keep the mood light by throwing a smile Edd's way. 

"I got you something," he said, pulling out a small box from underneath his pillow. "Now before you say anything, it's not much."

When he saw Eddy's smile, Edd couldn't help but smile back. If his friend was happy then he was happy. And when said friend handed him the small wrapped box he flushed and grinned, showing the gap in his teeth. Slowly, carefully he undid the wrapping of the gift, interested to see what Eddy had given him.

"...I remember how bummed you got when Coach Walters threw you in the pool and your watch got fucked up." He said, a blush growing on his slightly chubby cheeks. It wasn't like him to be very...sentimental.

But fuck it, Edd was more of a brother to him than his own brother was.  
It was a bitter, ugly truth. 

And he wasn't ashamed to admit that. Not really. Double D and Ed had been there for him, more than anyone else. They were the only two people that mattered to him as much as they did. 

"So I got you a replacement," said Eddy, feeling just a little bit foolish. If only because this was the first time he had ever gotten the boy anything that wasn't completely last minute. He had actually thought about it. 

"I...don't exactly got a lot of cash on me so, it's not the BEST but---you know.” He shrugged. “I did what I could."

"Oh, Eddy." 

Edd stared at the watch in the small box clutched in his hands. It wasn't the fanciest of watches, or the most up-to-date, but it was simple and elegant and meant more than any watch with any of those other qualities ever would. 

"Thank you." 

Without a moment's hesitation he reached over and hugged Eddy tightly. He wondered if he knew how much this all meant to him. Since Edd was a child, Eddy and Ed were the only people to ever really care for him. He was sure his parents cared in their own way, but as he grew older that assuredness was waning fast as birthdays were missed and phone calls dropped and not picked up again. So Eddy and Ed had become his family, the ones he could rely on without fail. It gave him a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach and bubbled up into his chest.  
The hug wasn't unexpected, but left Eddy feeling pretty good. It wasn't like he was overly affectionate, but with Edd he could be. And with Ed, well....affectionate was pretty much what the big lump lived by. 

"I have something for you too," Edd began as he pulled away from the embrace with Eddy. Standing he went to his suitcase and opened it, going to a small compartment on the inside and pulled out a flashdrive and a USB cable. 

"May I see your phone?" the lanky teen asked, holding out his hand and smiling.

Nodding once, Eddy took out the device from his back pocket and gave it to him. He had no idea what Edd had planned for it. But he knew he wasn't going to be disappointed. He watched, curious and wondering what Edd was up too. Edd took the device from Eddy and plugged the smaller end of the USB cable into the bottom of the phone. He typed a few things on the screen, paused, and then typed a bit more before biting the edge of his lip. A few more moments passed and Edd hummed to himself, unplugging the flashdrive from the phone and handing it back to Eddy, a sheepish smile on his face.

Eddy didn't know much when it came to phones or computers. So long as he could do the basics he didn't really care. All that high tech stuff was just confusing and he much rather preferred simplicity. He smirked lightly to himself when he realized that that had come to a bit of a surprise to some people. Someone as flashy as he had been, one would think he'd keep up with the latest stuff. But he just didn't get it, which is why whenever he saw Edd fiddle with this or that, he couldn't help but stare and wonder what the hell was so amazing about it all. 

Thankfully whenever it concerned Eddy it was never that complicated.

"It's not much... and I know how you detest modern technology…” Edd began, a little bit unsure of himself and the reaction his gift would receive, “but I thought that this may be useful in your future endeavors. It's an application that allows you to track your current 'projects' and the financial returns you'll receive from each one based on their varied success. I can teach you how to use it, I made sure it had a simple interface so that it was easy to use yet yield detailed and informative results." 

To be honest, Edd was actually quite proud of his little creation. He knew Eddy sometimes had trouble keeping track of all his various schemes and projects and figured that, if he himself wasn't around to help out, this app may do the trick. 

"I hope you like it," the taller teen said softly, shifting his eyes away from Eddy's face, not wanting to see a disappointed reaction. Edd was never very good at picking out gifts as what he found interesting was not what others found interesting.

"Oh....my fucking god Double D..." Eddy said, slightly out of breath and taking the phone gently into his hands, almost as if he was afraid it would break. He looked through the app, actually liking the setup. It was relatively simple and easy enough to figure out. He grinned wide at Edd.

"This is so awesome! You know how RICH I will get now?!" He said, so excited he could already see the dollar signs. He had gotten pretty good at making money every now and then. Sticking to smaller schemes and usually targeting the kids from the High School just across from their Middle School. It almost amazed Eddy how easy those older teens were to scam. And he knew that this app was just going to make things so much easier. He couldn't help it; he scooped up Edd in a tight embrace. 

"Oh thank you! You're the best! I just---!" 

Suddenly three hard knocks were heard on the door. 

"Hey!" The sound of Eugene's voice cutting through the rather happy moment. The door that lead to the hall was quickly thrown open and there the older male stood. His expression unreadable and the smirk on his face just a tad bit unnerving. 

“Oh what is this now?” 

Eddy had liked his gift; this thought made Edd's chest bubble with happiness. That bubble popped, however, the instant Eddy's brother entered the room, his deep voice laden with sarcasm and a hint of malice made Edd's skin crawl. 

"If I had known you and your little girlfriend were makin' out I would've brought my camera." The older man said, raising a brow at the scene before him.

Edd took a step back, almost unconsciously, trying to distance himself lest the 'girlfriend' jokes continue. It was embarrassing enough to be occasionally confused as a girl, due to his too-long dark hair and complete inability to gain any sort of muscle, but for it to be used as an insult, made the Edd all the more uncomfortable.

"H-hello Eugene," Edd attempted a cordial greeting. "Merry Christmas." He would be staying under the same roof as this man for a few days; he might as well attempt some level of formality. Eugene's smirk widened, an almost crude smile replacing it as he eyed the boy up and down. 

"Humph." was all he said, dark eyes staring down Double D’s wide green ones. 

Eddy didn't like it. Not one bit. It was bad enough that his parents invited him to stay for the Holidays. The way his older brother looked at Double D, made him feel uncomfortable. It wasn't even like the guy was sizing Edd up, more like taking him in; studying him. 

"What the hell do you want?" Eddy said with a snarl. He wasn't going to attempt to be nice. Fuck that. 

Eugene snapped his attention to his little brother, his smile never leaving as he leaned against the doorframe. 

"Mom wants us all to come to have a niiiice dinner. Said I should come and get you and sockhead princess." He said, rolling the mocking pet name off his tongue. 

"Unless..." Eugene said. "You want to be left alone for a little while longer? You know, finish up?" 

Eddy could hear the laughter in his voice, and it made his blood boil. 

"I'll be out there in a minute, now get the fuck out!"

Eugene's words made Edd's cheeks flush crimson. To insinuate that he and Eddy--no, no, Edd thought, shaking his head. He couldn't let Eugene get to him, he was just joking. Unfortunately the man had a bad sense of humor. If Edd was honest with himself Eddy's brother scared him. He was sleazy and mysterious and seemed like the kind of man to do unmentionable things for a price that wasn't high enough to justify the deeds. 

And the fact that his presence made Eddy so irritable, so angry, didn't sit right with Edd at all.

Chuckling to himself, Eugene let himself out being sure to close the door behind him. When Eddy turned to Double D, the sound of his brother's laughter met his ears. 

"Don't forget to use protection!" 

Unable to hide the blush from his face, Eddy threw the closest thing next to him at the door. The sound of one of his school text books meeting the wooden door was almost satisfying, but did little to relieve him of the heat building in his chest. Eddy did his best to calm himself, his lips a tight line as he took in a calming breath. Letting it out from his nose he gave Double D an apologetic smile. 

"Sorry about that. He's an asshole."

Edd shook his head, internally mourning for the poor school textbook. To distract himself he went to the door and retrieved the book from the floor and, upon making sure none of the pages were folded on themselves, set it back on Eddy's cluttered and unused desk. 

"It is quite alright. If I remember our past encounter correctly I expected such actions." 

Even still, the boy couldn't shake the blush from his cheeks and the awkward feeling that hung in the air spoke of the lingering effect the man had on both boys'. 

"We should probably go to dinner. I wouldn't want to upset your mother and I would like to thank her for allowing me to stay here," Edd said, attempting to lighten the mood best he could. "After all, it's because of her that I can spend Christmas with one of my best friends."

Eddy gave him a genuine smile, despite the situation they had just been in. Leading them out into the kitchen, Eddy did his best to change the mood and get both of their minds off of his brother. And as much as he had dreaded it, dinner wasn't nearly as awkward or tense as he thought it would have been. Mainly because his grandmother was a crazy old woman and loved to bait his father into arguments. He had even seen Double D laugh every now and then. 

When the plates had been cleared and dessert served, Eddy couldn't help but keep an eye on his brother. They had been given apple pie with ice-cream, and instead of digging into it like Eugene normally did, he played with it, his fork going over the melting cream and spreading it over the crust of the pie. Every so often those dark eyes would look up and watch the lanky teen lick up a crumb or a spot of the cold treat from his lips and spoon. 

And in those moments Eddy could've sworn he saw the man give the tiniest of smiles.  
====


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddy's older brother takes a dangerous interest in Edd as he stays with them for the holidays, leading to a relationship that no one, not even Eddy or Kevin, can seem to save Edd from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're starting to get into more good Eugene/Edd interactions! Some sexual innuendo in this chapter. Chapter 3 should be up tomorrow and working on chapter 4 now.

It had been a few hours after dinner that the two boys finally settled down in Eddy’s room to relax for the night. Edd had gotten wrapped up talking with Eddy’s mom (she really was quite delightful) while Eddy had done everything he could to avoid and ignore Eugene, despite the older man’s best efforts. After a second helping of pie Eddy had finally managed to pull Edd away from his mother’s conversation and into his room where they now sat in comfortable silence. Edd was reading the user manual for his new watch on Eddy’s bed while Eddy sat on the floor tinkering with the new app on his phone, inputting who-knows-what sort of questionable data into the built-in spreadsheets. Eddy grinned to himself as messed with his phone. He honestly couldn’t believe Edd could to do something like this. Well…no that wasn’t completely true. He knew he COULD, he just didn’t think he would. After getting the hang of the app he put the small device away and looked up at Edd, watching as the other teen’s eyes flicked over the words in the manual. It was those same green eyes that had seemed to catch the attention of his older brother.

 

Eddy thought back to the dinner and frowned in Edd’s direction. He had never seen Eugene look at anyone like that before, except maybe a couple Eddy’s old babysitters. Usually that look had meant one thing and one thing only. A shiver went through him, and the shorter male did his best to rid himself of whatever ideas started to form.

 

He was just being silly, he reasoned. There was no way Eugene would be interested in Edd. Edd was…well, Edd. Shy, timid, with a sharp tongue that came out whenever the situation called for it. It wasn’t like his friend wasn’t attractive or anything, but he just didn’t know what it could have been that had his brother suddenly showing interest.

 

Eddy hadn’t noticed he was staring at Double D until the other boy turned his attention to him.

 

“Is everything alright, Eddy?” Edd questioned, eyebrows raised. He thought he had felt a slight disturbance; it seemed Eddy’s gaze was the reason.

 

“You look quite distressed.” And he did. The other looked troubled, brows drawn together to form too many wrinkles in the middle of his forehead for such a young face. The lanky teen had a small idea what was to blame for this, but he didn’t want to fully jump to conclusions. Acquiring more information always led to a better hypothesis or, sometimes, the answer itself.

 

Eddy shook his head and smiled up at him.

 

“It’s nothing. I think I’m just a little tired is all.” He said, feigning a yawn to give it the full affect.

 

He wasn’t too keen on lying to Edd, but the last thing he wanted was to voice his concerns. If one could even call them that. He shrugged it off, chalking it up to him just being paranoid. He left it at that as he got up from his spot on the floor and walked over to his closet, taking out a few extra pillows and a blanket and tossed it to Edd, more or less burying him under it all. 

 

Edd squeaked and then laughed as he dug his way out of the pillows that covered him. Though he wasn’t positive of the truthfulness of Eddy’s reassurances, the taller Ed chose to believe him for the time being. Maybe he was just tired. 

 

“You don’t mind sharing the bed do you? Grammy is using the cot and shacking up with Eugene.” He said, a cruel smile making its way on his face. “Serves him right…” he muttered the last part under his breath and closed the closet door.

 

“Normally I am quite fond of my roomy sleeping space, but I believe I can make an exception in return for such hospitality,” he joked. Well, Edd’s version of a joke at least. After managing to free himself of the pillows and blankets he slipped off the bed, making his way to his suitcase and extracting pajama pants and a plain t-shirt. It was times like these he was a little thankful he had grown out of his footie pajamas; no matter how much he loved them they were a little embarrassing to wear in a full house such as this.

 

“I’ll be right back, I am just going to go change into my sleep attire and brush my teeth.”

 

Eddy watched him leave before he began to set up the bed. It was a little bigger than before, but still round in shape, and more accommodating for him. He was easily able to make it so that both he and Edd could sleep comfortably without any awkward bumping or kicking during the night. With the other boy out of the room he took his chance to change quickly into his own pajamas, slipping into a loose pair of shorts and a wife beater. He ran his fingers through his slightly gel hardened hair in an effort to loosen the locks some.

 

Sighing, he let himself fall onto the bed and closed his eyes, thinking of anything else to get his mind off his brother. Pretty soon ideas of his latest scheme were beginning to take shape and a smile replaced the small frown on his lips.

-

Eugene rolled his eyes as his grandmother continued to go on and on about the ‘good old days’. When she had paused, finally, to take out her teeth, he made a break for the door. He needed a beer after hearing that long winded story of her life as a young girl.

 

Maybe something stronger.

 

He wondered briefly if his Dad still kept the good whiskey in the cabinet under the sink and smiled to himself, already able to taste the bitter strong flavor on his tongue. He walked down the hallway to the kitchen and noticed a light coming from the hallways bathroom, the sound of running water making him stop in his tracks.

-

Quietly Edd had made his way to the bathroom and shut the door. He quickly changed into his pajamas, making sure to fold his worn clothes up neatly in a stack and setting them on the counter next to him before taking out his travel toothbrush and new travel sized toothpaste. He so hated borrowing anything hygiene wise and had a healthy stockpile of travel sized items for these very occasions. He brushed his teeth for exactly two minutes, washed his face for exactly three, and proceeded to wash his hands for another two. Even though he was not at home, sticking to his strict nightly regiment was important in keeping the dark haired boy calm and collected. A proper mind was fuelled by a properly taken care of body, after all. Edd glanced at himself in the mirror and smiled.

 

“Almost forgot,” he laughed quietly, continuing his odd humor with himself, before taking off his signature sock hat and running a small brush through his shaggy black hair.

 

Eugene smiled to himself as he paused by the door. When he heard the voice of Eddy’s friend his smile grew and he quietly made his way to the kitchen. When the sockhead came out he would have to walk through the kitchen to make it back to Eddy’s bedroom, and there he would be, waiting and sipping on his Dad’s Jack Daniels.

 

He poured himself a shot into a regular drinking glass and sucked his teeth as the satisfying burn travelled down his throat and warmed his stomach. Eugene knew exactly what he was doing and he knew exactly what he felt. That stirring in his loins and the quickening of his pulse; he wanted the little dork.

 

And in some of the worst ways.

 

He felt himself grin as he thought of how sweet the boy would sound, writhing under him, begging for more.

However, he had to be smart about it. He couldn’t just take him like he did his other playthings. No, this would take time, patience, and a few good, gentle nudges in the right direction.

When he heard the soft click of the bathroom door being closed he switched the lights off to the kitchen and sat down at the table, the bottle of whiskey next to him, the glass just barely touching his lips.

 

-

Once Edd was finished with his nightly cleaning routine he double-checked that he hadn’t forgotten anything and gathered up his things, turning off the bathroom light before he left so as not to disturb anyone with the light. 

Stepping from the bathroom he let his eyes adjust to the dark for a moment before he made his way back to Eddy’s room. He moved slowly, trying to avoid running into anything out of his poor field of sight in the dark. Once he reached the kitchen something felt… off.

 

He paused.

 

Eugene eyed the dark form of the young teen, his gaze following him as he moved and tried his best not to bump into anything. He smirked and sipped at his drink.

 

“Hey there, Sockhead,” he said slowly, his smirk growing at the sound of the lanky teen’s gasp. 

Eugene’s voice coming from the darkness startled Edd and made him jump into the refrigerator, almost knocking who-knows-what off the top.

 

“Eugene!” Edd whispered, rubbing his probably-bruised shoulder. “You surprised me…”

He didn’t want Eddy to hear him so he continued his hushed tone. If his friend knew his brother was sitting in the dark, talking to Edd, probably drinking…

 

“Kinda late for you to be wandering around all by yourself don’t’cha think?”

 

Eugene knew this was the moment he had to play his cards right. This was the moment he had to gain his trust, as small as it would probably be. So long as he was able to put into Edd’s head a slight bit of doubt of him being nothing but a bad guy, he’d be happy. And the rest would come naturally. 

He leaned forward on the table, finishing the shot in one big gulp before pouring himself another.

 

“You getting yourself all prettied up for pipsqueak, huh?”

 

The lanky teen shook his head. He didn’t want Eddy to get even more upset than he was. Even still it was difficult to keep his voice down when Eugene insinuated, yet again, that he and Eddy had some sort of ‘relationship’ going on.

Exasperated, Edd sighed and scowled at the dark form he could just make out sitting at the table in the kitchen.

 

“I do not appreciate your continued false assumptions of Eddy and I’s relationship, Eugene,” he hissed.

 

“I don’t see you proving otherwise.” Eugene said with a smirk, finally deciding to turn the light on. Chair scrapping lightly against the linoleum floor, he felt for the switch and, upon finding it, flicked it up. It took him a moment to get used to the sudden brightness in the kitchen, but when he did he took another sip of his drink and leaned against the wall.

 

The light hurt Edd’s eyes and his hand came up quickly to cover them, easing the transition from dark to light. It took a few moments of blinking and squinting to fully adjust. It was then that Edd was able to take in the sight before him: Eugene dressed in baggy, worn cargo shorts and a dirty wife beater with a glass of what could be nothing other than alcohol, standing next to the light switch. This, unfortunately, also blocked the way back to Eddy’s room.

 

The sight made his skin prickle.

 

In the light Eugene was able to get a better look at the young Ed, his eyes roaming over his form and his expression unchanging, unblinking. The pajama pants Edd wore were a bit large on him, and if it weren’t for the baggy t-shirt, Eugene knew he would’ve been able to see those narrow hips of his barely covered. He licked his lips, bringing the cup to his mouth but not taking in any of the amber liquid.

 

“Besides,” He said, his tongue coming out to take a piece of ice between his teeth, crushing it in one bite. “Can you blame me? The way you two just hang around each other would have a lot of people assuming….”

 

Edd was becoming uncomfortable, and oddly so. Even though the house was filled with people who would keep him safe, that knowledge could not shake the feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach and making goose bumps rise on his skin.

 

Suddenly he felt very alone and very exposed. Nervous hands shot up to toy with the edge of his black sock hat, pulling it further down over his ears and forehead. 

 

“Assuming that we’re best friends?” Edd retorted, trying his best to keep his voice down but make it sound somewhat threatening resulting in the words leaving his lips in another hiss. 

 

“It is not our fault that you have never experienced such a close relationship and thus cannot understand our platonic interactions.” Edd tried so hard not to shake and succeeded in hiding it everywhere but his hands. They twitched in their grip of the black fabric on his head. If he was asked later Edd would have claimed he shook from the anger rising in his chest rather than the uneasiness in his gut.

 

Eugene put his hands up in an attempt to calm the boy down.

 

“No need to get your panties in a twist princess. I’m only saying what everyone else is thinking,” he said, placing the now-empty glass down onto the counter next to him. He couldn’t keep the grin off his face but did his best to make sure it was more friendly than lewd.

 

All he could think in that moment was how this kitten had claws. He could also see talking about his little brother was a bit of a sore spot for the teen. Eugene tilted his head to the side, glanced at Edd’s lightly shaking hands and raised a brow.

 

“You know it kind of hurts how you could say I’ve never had a friendship like the one you have with pipsque—Eddy.” Eugene said, making sure to correct himself. “For your information I did. Back, waaaay back before we moved to this boring Peach Creek. I get how two people can grow close without having to fuck each other.”

 

Edd frowned, unsure of how to feel at that moment. To him it sounded almost as if Eugene was actually starting to become civil. He had to admit this was a curious turn of events, but no less uncomfortable. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

 

“Somehow I doubt that.” 

 

Eugene let out an amused grunt and sauntered over to the sockheaded teen, placing both of his hands in his pockets.

 

“Is it so hard to think someone like me could have a friend?” He asked, his words soft despite the hard look he gave Edd. He stayed like that, peering down into the young teens’ eyes for a moment before his smile returned and he lifted one shoulder in a shrug. 

 

“I don’t—-“ 

“Don’t worry about it. Keep thinking what you want. Personally I thought someone like you would be a little more open-minded but hey, what do I know?” Eugene said with a small sigh, turning to make his leave out of the kitchen. He paused just outside the door way to look at Edd, giving him a crooked smile.

 

“Sleep tight Princess.”

 

===


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty tame chapter, still around PG rating. Chapter 5 is when everything gets good. Also this chapter is LONG. Almost 4k words. I hope everyone likes novel-length fanfics, 'cause that's what this is going to be ahaha.

\---  
Edd tried not to show how shaken up he felt when he stepped into Eddy's room. 

"Sorry for taking so long..." He muttered sheepishly, setting his clothes back into his suitcase and separating them based on how dirty each garment was. He rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to distract himself, playing with the small bits of hair that stuck out from beneath his hat at the nape of his neck. "Thank you for setting up the bed, Eddy. It looks quite comfortable." 

The taller teen took a seat on the opposite side of the bed than where Eddy was laying, slowly peeling off his house socks and folding them in on each other before setting them next to the bed. He had hoped Eddy hadn't heard any of the exchange just outside his room, lest it upset the boy more. However, what Eugene had said lingered in the back of his mind. 

Had he really had a friendship like his and Eddy's before? With how the man acted now it was so hard to believe. 

Yet, the curiosity was beginning to plague the teen's mind.

Eddy lay on the bed, grunting slightly when Edd came in. He had started to fall asleep when the dark haired teen spoke. Stretching and letting out a large yawn, Eddy nodded at him with half closed eyes. When he felt Edd settle down next to him Eddy was able to let go some of the tension he didn't know was there. 

He hadn't noticed how long Edd had been gone but when he glanced at the glowing numbers from his clock next to him, he frowned. 

Fifteen minutes was a long time for anyone to be in the bathroom. 

Eddy was quiet and listened to the sound of the other's breathing. He wondered what could've kept him. Maybe he decided to take a shower? No, he would've brought his towel with him if he did. Eddy didn't voice this however, instead rolling onto his side away from the other boy and covering himself with the blanket up to his neck. 

 

Edd turned off the lamp on his side of the bed when he felt the other roll over. 

"Eddy?" Edd's voice was quiet in the now dark room. He couldn't hold his curiosity in any longer. He knew that it would keep him up if he did, theorizing on different hypotheses of the outcome of Eugene's friendship and what may had made him the way he was now. "May I ask you a question?"

Just as Eddy had felt himself begin to drift the sound of Edd's voice startled him awake. 

"Huh..? What...?" 

He furrowed his brow, a little unsure if what he heard was from a dream or real. But as his mind started to come back to reality he replayed what his friend had asked and turned his head in the other teens' direction before moving to face him completely. 

"What's up?" He asked, his speech slightly slurred. "What happened?"

"Oh… nothing is the matter," Edd started. 

He tried to believe himself. 

"I was just wondering, and I apologize for the subject matter as I know how it affects you," he was rambling now, "but I can't seem to get this curiosity out of my head..." 

Edd paused and took a sharp breath in with the gap in his teeth. He had started, and leaving the other hanging was never kind. 

"What... Made your brother like he is? Was he always like this?" His heart pounded in his chest and he hoped Eddy couldn't hear it. 

He was bracing himself for an Eddy outbreak, maybe a huff or just for him to write him off completely and ignore him. Could he really blame him if he did though? Edd was treading into territory he wasn't sure even he was prepared for. Why did he care anyway? Eddy's brother was nothing but a bully and his logical mind concluded as such. A man who enjoyed toying with others without any regard to rhyme or reason: the kind of person that Edd just couldn’t relate to. 

So what was it then that made that all the more intriguing?

"What?" Eddy asked, finally coming completely to his senses. He propped himself on his elbows and looked down at the nervous teen as well as he could in the darkness of the room. Eddy then looked away, his eyes focusing on a spot of the wall just opposite his bed. 

"The fuck if I know. He was always like that. For as long as I can remember." Eddy said, frowning. 

The sudden interest in his brother was a little concerning. But Eddy attempted to brush it off as nothing more than curiosity. He had never really spoken of him, or of his past before moving to Peach Creek. Not because he had something to hide but because he honestly couldn't remember much before meeting his two closest friends. 

He tried not to let his emotions get the better of him and did what he could to keep a level head when he continued. "Honestly Double D....I don't know. I think I remember him being 'nice' when I was really little. But I could just be confusing that for something else."

Edd's brows furrowed. Maybe Eugene had been lying to him; the more he thought of that idea the more foolish he felt for not realizing it sooner. He nodded even though Eddy wouldn't be able to see it in the dark. 

"Mm, I apologize for asking, it was intrusive of me." Edd lay back down and pulled the covers up to his neck, curling up beneath the heavy comforter and crisp sheet. 

He would only have to deal with Eugene a few more days. If he could avoid and ignore him during that time it would be the best for everyone involved. Besides, the holidays were for spending time with those you loved and so he would focus on spending them with Ed and Eddy. Not spent obsessing over Eddy’s brother who proved to be nothing more than a headache.

"Goodnight, Eddy. Sleep well." He felt the other boy shift next to him, probably laying back down, and tug at the covers.

Eddy hummed in response and stared up at the ceiling. He tried to recall his earliest memory of his brother, of nights possibly being talked too, or comforted. As much as he hated to admit it, the fact that he disliked his brother so much left him feeling...lonely. If only because he wanted that sibling companionship. He thought back to days when he would plan out his life and imagine his kids calling his brother their 'favorite uncle.' 

He smiled to himself sadly and sighed. 

"You know...there is one thing I remember," Eddy said, eyes squinting in the darkness as the shadows and lights from the outside danced along the ceiling. 

"I remember him being happy. A long time ago he was actually happy about something that wasn't completely terrible." 

It was almost insane to think about Eugene being genuinely happy about something. But Eddy did remember a time, one time, when that then-boy smiled. Eddy's frown deepened. There was also something about that memory that just seemed so wrong and for some reason he just couldn't make himself recall what. 

"Oh well."

Thinking Eddy would drop the conversation and go to sleep Edd had rolled over and closed his eyes, hugging his pillow close to him in attempts to recreate his well-defined sleeping space at home. Hearing Eddy's voice again surprised him and he craned his neck toward his friend to listen to his memories of his brother. 

So... maybe Eugene hadn’t lied after all. That fact made Edd's head spin. 

"Maybe one day something will make him happy again," he said hopefully. He always knew how much Eddy had looked up to his brother before that fateful day. And he got the feeling that Eddy still clung to that desire for his 'cool older bro'. For Eddy's sake he hoped Eugene could still change. The glimmer of something he had seen in the kitchen bode well for that. That sentiment comforted Edd, both for himself and for Eddy.

"Maybe." Eddy sighed, his expression only softening as he finally fell asleep. Dreams of what could have been and what might have been filled his head. 

It wasn't as restful as it could have been.

\--  
The next morning Eddy was awoken by the smell of pancakes and bacon cooking in the kitchen. He cracked open an eye to spot Edd rummaging through his suitcase, already dressed and humming softly to himself. 

Eddy remained laying there for a moment, thinking how unreal it was for someone to be so happy so early in the morning. He glanced at his clock and rolled his eyes, grabbing one of the extra pillows to pull it over his face. 

"It's 8 in the morning Double D. Why are you awake?"

"A proper sleeping schedule and consistent waking regiment is extremely important for a still growing body, Eddy," the boy lectured, his index finger pointed in the air and a smile on his face. "Just because it’s the holidays doesn't mean I can deviate from it." In truth, though what Edd said was true, he ended up not being able to sleep very well after all.

What Eddy had told him had made his mind race with theories and possibilities. Something had to have happened. Edd's inventive and ever-inquisitive mind was to blame; faced with an unknown only awoke the desire within him to find the variables that led to a conclusion. 

"Your mother is also making a delightful breakfast that would be a shame to miss!"

Letting out a disgruntled sigh Eddy took the pillow off his face and threw the covers off his body. Legs hanging off the side of the bed Eddy cracked his neck and raised his arms high above his head. 

"Yeah yeah whatever..." He mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. When he got up he quickly grabbed a sweatshirt from the closet and pulled it over his head. He wasn't going to bother to change and it was surprisingly cold that morning. 

"Come on let's go before Grammy takes all the bacon." 

Eddy hadn't had a very good night’s sleep, strange dreams of his early childhood coming back to him. He didn't remember much of it, just little flashes here and there. He frowned as he led them both into the kitchen, his mother at the stove slapping his Dad's hand away with the spatula and his grandmother cursing at no one in Italian. 

And then there was Eugene. 

Eddy took the seat farthest away from him and sipped at a glass of orange juice that had been placed on the table. 

"Merry Christmas boys!" his mother said, moving from the stove to place two plates down in front of them and pressing her red lips against both their cheeks. 

"Mooooom, PLEASE!"

 

Edd blushed and grinned into the kiss. He had always liked Eddy's mom; she was what a mom should be. 

What he wanted his mom to be. 

Once she pulled away he tugged a sanitary wipe from his pocket to clean the residual lipstick from his cheek. No offense to Eddy's mother, but Edd didn't look particularly good in mauve. 

"Merry Christmas!" The boy replied as he took a seat next to Eddy. "Thank you for breakfast." Edd was ever cordial, waiting until the rest of the family had been seated until beginning in on the plate of food that was set before him. 

"I did not get a chance to thank you properly last night," he started, speaking towards Eddy's mother. "But I appreciate your hospitality in lieu of my parents’ absences."

 

"Oh sweetie, don't worry about it, we're glad to have you! You're like a part of the family!" She said cheerfully, knocking Eugene's elbows off the table with the back of her spoon. 

Eddy took the napkin from Edd’s hands and wiped the lipstick off his own cheek as he bit into a piece of bacon, nearly choking when his brother snorted at the word 'family.' 

"What?" Eddy asked with the scowl. Eugene said nothing, merely glanced his way and kept his eyes on his plate, picking at the fried pork with little interest, his mind on other things. 

Eddy's annoyed expression changed slightly when Edd poked his thigh gently to calm him.

Even with them all seated at the table Eddy could feel the tension in the air. But it was different. Every now and then he would see Eugene throw a look Edd's way. 

He didn't like it. 

Not one bit.

Edd tried to focus on his food and keeping Eddy calm. The gentle nudge he gave his friend's thigh seemed to do the trick for now but the tension was still palpable. Slowly he ate the bacon, wrinkling his nose only a little at the grease and fat (why did bacon have to be so delicious yet so unhealthy?). 

Throughout the meal Edd noticed Eddy kept glancing at his brother, who in turn threw an occasional glance his way, making him almost swallow his food down the wrong pipe. Why did Eugene insist on looking at him? And especially with that look on his face that made Edd's nerves fray at the ends. It felt like he, Eddy, and Eugene were in their own little messed up world of looks and who-knows-what kind of thoughts as Eddy's mother continually tried to sooth his father and granny's familial bickering around them. 

When Edd was done with his plate he let himself up to take the dish to the sink. "Eddy, may I take your plate if you are finished?"

"Yeah sure..." Eddy said absently, turning his attention to his grandmother. His father had his face in his hands, attempting and failing to settle the argument that they had been having for the last fifteen minutes. 

"You know Eddy." Eddy’s grandmother said, giving him a look behind her thick, wireframe glasses. "I don't know why you can't find somebody nice. You're what? 16?" 

"He's 13 Mom.” 

"Why haven’t you found a nice young man? Are you waiting until I’m dead?" She asked, her hands folded in her lap. "There are only so many fish in the sea. I can only hope you date someone nice. Like you're little Edd friend." 

"Grammy, I'm not gay." 

"Don't tell me what you are and are not. All that hair gel and leopard print underwear---" 

"Eddy." His mother interrupted with a smile, trying her best to keep the impending fight from breaking out. "Why don't you and Eddward go to your room for a little bit? I'll call you when it's time to open presents okay? Eugene, help me clear the plates." 

Edd froze at the old woman's words. Did Eddy's whole family just think he and Eddy were dating? 

Suddenly Edd was very, very embarrassed. 

And very, very uncomfortable. 

He knew they meant well but... he didn't want them judging him, or thinking ill of him, or any of the above.

Rolling his eyes at their mothers request Eugene got up and watched the boys leave out of the corner of his eye, unable to keep the smile off his face.

The lanky teen had been all too grateful to heed the woman’s suggestion and quickly set his dish in the sink and made his way to Eddy's room, leaving Eddy to trail behind. Once inside the familiar walls he sat on the bed and pulled out his phone, attempting to engage his mind with some random application or something. 

Anything to keep from shaking.

Anything to make the heat in his cheeks diminish before Eddy could see it. 

Edd hadn't even begun to think about the possibility of dating someone and here Eugene was insinuating very graphic things about the two while his grandmother was implying the two should date. Could he get no break?

Eddy frowned when he saw his friends' attempts to distract himself. Biting the inside of his cheek he sat on the bed and pulled the taller teen with him. Taking his phone away he placed it on the bedside table and turned to face him. 

Edd almost protested when Eddy took his phone but then his eyes caught the other's face, a serious look in his eyes, and let the words slip back down his throat. What was he supposed to say? 

Edd had always been a private person.

People touching his stuff, disrupting his labels and order and daily routines, insinuating things about him... all of it threw him off and made his heart pound faster. 

Once upon a time he had WebMD’d his symptoms and came to the conclusion that that he seemed to suffer from some sort of anxiety in these types of situations. Yet, that was always hard to explain to others. Especially Eddy, who he wondered if he had ever felt anxious or unsure in his life. The other was always so sure, so uncaring of what people thought of him. Sometimes Edd wished he could be a little more like Eddy and a little less like himself.

 

"Are you okay? You've been kind of out of it since last night. Did something happen?" Eddy asked, wanting to get his friend’s mind off of what had just happened at the breakfast table. Between breakfast and the way his friend had been last night he figured it was the best course of action.

When Eddy asked him that question he wondered which route he should take. Be honest; despite what Eddy's reaction may be, or keep it to himself and let it eat him up inside like it was. Edd sighed. He was overthinking things. Honesty was always the best road, right? It certainly complicated things less. Lies were such tricky things to deal with. 

 

"I ran into Eugene last night returning to your room..." There was a lump in his throat that he had to swallow hard to get rid of. "He insinuated more about our relationship."

Eddy was unable to keep the frown from his face. 

"Did he..." He swallowed hard. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?" Eddy asked, wording his question carefully. He knew his brother wouldn’t hurt him. Not with so many people in the house. 

But he also knew how crafty he was. 

And what he could do.

"No!" Edd's reaction was instant and the volume of his voice took him off guard. "No, that's not it..." he mumbled, shaking his head. Did Eddy really think his brother would...? Edd tried not to think on that, lest be begin to feel even more uncomfortable around the older man.

Eddy had noticed the way Edd looked at him, nervous and almost scared of his reaction. This was why he kept his voice soft. Edd was one of the only people he truly cared for and, he honestly didn't know how to feel about his brothers’ interest in him. If he was honest with himself, it made his skin crawl.

"He just said that he was just saying what everyone's thinking about you and me. Your grandmother didn't really help that sentiment." 

Why wasn't Eddy as upset as him? The thought flashed across his mind. Edd felt foolish being the only one embarrassed by the whole situation. First by Eugene and then by Eddy's grandmother. Maybe accepting this invitation to stay was a bad idea. At least at home he was surrounded by his labels and everything had its place and he didn't have to question his relationships with the people around him because he could be alone.

Eddy tilted his head slightly. So that was what was bothering him. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding he chuckled and leaned back against the bed. He rubbed his face with his hands, threading his fingers behind his head and locking his gaze with Edd's. 

"Sorry..." He said. "I don't know. It just doesn't bother me.”

Now that he thought about it, he wondered why exactly it DIDN'T bother him. Maybe he just didn't care. And in a way he didn't. But seeing Edd so worked up over it was just a little funny. He didn't laugh though; instead he rested his hand on the thin shoulder of his friend and sat up, eying him with a curious expression. 

"Why does it bother you so much? It's not true so why do you care?"

"Because--!" Edd couldn’t' help but shake this feeling that this wasn't what was really bothering him. That yes, the teasing and implications were annoying and embarrassing, but that wasn't what lay at the heart of this uneasiness.

But it was the easiest to talk about so he would have to settle for that.

"Because it's none of their business. Things that happen--or may not happen--behind closed doors should not be guessed at by those who aren't involved. It's... irritating, and embarrassing." He covered his mouth with his hands, long fingers brushing across his lips to keep from biting them as he thought. 

"Relationships are personal. Not for public mocking or guess work." 

That was the only way the taller teen could reason to explain it. He was quickly growing uncomfortable again. This was making him think and his teenage brain couldn't handle such thoughts and stimuli. While he had avoided most all temptations thus far, mostly due to many years of his parent's sticky notes insisting as much, his puberty was starting to kick in and jokes about sex and relationships made him think more about it than he really wished to. 

"Well uh," Eddy said, clearing his throat to shake the strange feeling that had begun to settle at the pit of his stomach. He could feel his cheeks heating up a bit. 

The pink spreading over Eddy's cheeks did not escape Edd's over-observant eyes. Maybe Eddy was just as embarrassed as Edd but too shy or something to admit it... the hope that bubbled up in his chest overrode the anxiety that had latched itself in his heart. Maybe he and Eddy weren't so different after all. 

"You're right. It is personal,” Eddy said. “My grandma didn't know and Eugene…" He paused. 

"I don't know what's up with him. But I gotta ask… when you said ‘things that happen,’ what did you mean by that? Do you want-- “

He didn't have time to really let out what he wanted to say before once again there was a knock on the door, and yet once again the person on the other side was the man they were talking about. When he opened the door he didn't really look at Edd this time, his focus mainly on his little brother. He smirked, noticing the red face Edd wore when he glanced in his direction.

"Time to open presents. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

The knock at the door, and Eugene's subsequent presence, interrupted Edd's formulation of a reply to Eddy's halted questions, of which Edd wasn't entirely clear on. When the older man that had caused the majority of his discomfort made yet another innuendo Edd had decided he had enough of letting the other get to him. 

If Eddy could brush it off (or at least appear to brush it off) then he would too. He ignored Eugene altogether and instead turned to Eddy, smiling. "Shall we head out? It appeared there were a good number of boxes with your name on them under the tree."

Eddy smiled back, a flicker lighting in his eyes at the mention of presents. The excitement he felt almost made him forget his and Edd’s conversation. Heavy conversations could wait til later; presents had to be opened now. 

“Yea let’s go sockhead, I think my mom got you a sweater or something.”

===


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before things really go down. As such this is also the last chapter that will have a rating under M. 
> 
> As a side-note you can also follow this story via my lovely co-author's tumblr at noribouu.tumblr.com. If you check out the 'Breaking Point' tag on both her and my tumblr's (keicai.tumblr.com) you can find all related works (and future related works) such as art and oneshots. :)

Eddy tapped his foot in annoyance, his eyes glued to the clock and a bottle of his Dad's whiskey in his hands. It was New Year’s Eve and, surprisingly, the days just sort of flew by without a hitch. His brother hadn't harassed them much. Save for the odd remark every once in a while, it was relatively quiet for the most part. And for that Eddy was thankful. Eddy hadn't brought up the conversation that he and Edd had had Christmas morning and it looked like Edd had been grateful for that. 

As it was, the lanky teen sat with a book in his hands, humming to himself to the sound of whatever song was playing from the iPod connected to Eddy's laptop. It had been a bumpy start to the Holiday, but the young teen had adjusted and relaxed some. For a little while there Eddy had been worried about Edd, wondering if maybe having him stay for as long as he did was a bad idea. 

He wasn't alone with his thoughts for long when a knock was heard at the door leading out to his backyard. With a grin Eddy slid open the door. 

"Ed! It's about time!"

"EDDY!!!" Ed's voice echoed in the small room as he swept his much shorter friend into a bear hug, lifting the other boy off his feet. "I missed you!" 

The other two Ed's hadn't seen their taller counterpart since before Christmas; his family had insisted that both he and Sarah visit their family in who-knows-where Kentucky. It was safe to say it had been a much quieter holiday without the two around the cul-de-sac. 

Ed's arrival had interrupted Edd's reading; the taller Ed's voice breaking through even the noise-canceling qualities of the headphones covering his ears. With a wide, gap-showing smile Edd slipped the headphones off and stood to greet his friend, quickly being swooped up into the loaf's arms that still ensnared Eddy. 

"Double D!!!!"

Eddy smiled as he was let go and pulled out two large red plastic cups. 

"Now listen here lumpy!" Eddy swung an arm around the taller teen, completely ignoring the slightly painful look Edd had on his face as he was hugged. "I got us my Dad's whiskey and today we are gonna get shit faced and watch the ball drop!" 

He had been planning for this since before the break. It was one of the things he had looked forward to since it started and couldn't think of a better way to spend the night than getting drunk with his two best friends. He had been sneaky when grabbing the bottle, making sure his parents and Grandmother had left the house and Eugene was nowhere to be seen before he snatched it and ran back into his room. There wasn't much of it left, about half a bottle. Obvious proof his brother had been at it. 

But he figured it was better than nothing.

“Drinking with Eddy and Double D!" Ed exclaimed. He was already happy to be back with his friends. A week with his parents and Sarah was boring. Except for the chickens he got to see at the farm they were by. The chickens were awesome. 

Edd slipped out of Ed's grasp while he seemed distracted and gave Eddy a small smile. It was nice to have the three of them together again. Mind you, it had been nice being with Eddy for a week, especially as he had finally gotten used to being away from home and settled into a routine here, but there was something about being the full trio of Ed's that just couldn't be beat.

Edd glanced at his new watch. "It seems we should get our party on if you plan on being 'shit faced' by midnight." 

Edd had no personal interest in getting drunk but he would participate nonetheless. He knew Eddy had been looking forward to it all Christmas Break and he didn't want to be a party pooper for the other's fun. Especially while his brother was around. The man had been tolerable the last week, but Eddy and Edd had avoided him as much as possible to ensure that.

“Yeah, yeah keep your hat on, sockhead.” 

Eddy popped open the bottle and poured himself and Ed a generous amount before giving a sideways look to the dark haired teen. Quickly he grabbed a small bottle of sparkling Apple Cider from his front pocket and threw it towards him.

“Mom left this for us. Figured you’d like it more than the whiskey. Besides I don’t wanna deal with you being intolerable in the morning.”

Edd barely caught the bottle, just managing to snag it before it hit the lamp behind him. The sentiment touched him; Eddy had thought of him and he appreciated that immensely. He knew the other was right, though. 

Edd could sometimes be intolerable while sober let alone with a hangover making him hate every waking moment of his life. It seemed, judging from one past experience, that his vocabulary and OCD also increased both while drunk and while hung over. So, pretty much Eddy's worst nightmare. 

"Thank you, Eddy. This is quite appreciated."

Ed plopped down next to Edd with his now half-full glass of whiskey and wrapped an arm around the boy once more.

“Drinking and friends is the best! Much better than Sarah hogging the bed! But not as good as the baby chickens." Edd laughed at his friend and swayed with him, though he didn't have much choice under the weight of Ed's arm. Ed was already into the spirit. It seemed the baby chicken comment struck a thought in him however and he stood quickly, almost knocking Edd over in the process. 

“YES! Ed almost forgot! I brought presents for Edd and Eddy.” Ed dug around inside his coat until he brought out two poorly wrapped objects and handed them to their respective owners. “It’s not Christmas anymore but presents are always good!”

Eddy laughed loudly at that, taking a large gulp from his drink and wincing at the taste. When he took the offered package he greedily tore into it, sending the colorful paper flying all over the place. His grin fell when he looked at the magazine, his expression becoming more disturbed than anything. He looked up at Ed in question. 

The title of the magazine read ‘Chicks Galore’ but the actual content was of, well, chicks. Literally. Flipping through the pages he saw baby chickens covering the entire thing, articles of how to incubate them as well as feed them. Needless to say Eddy had no idea how to react. 

Instead of saying anything to crush the large teen, Eddy went to take another drink from his cup and didn’t come back for air until the sound of him sipping the last remains of the alcoholic drink were heard. 

“Hmmmmmm. well...uh, thanks Ed.” He said, doing his best to keep the amber liquid from coming back up. The stuff tasted terrible but he had a feeling he was going to need whatever little bit of whiskey he could get and poured himself another helping.

“Oh you are welcome Eddy!! That issue is limited edition, I just love the centerfold. They’re so cute I could squeeze them,” Ed replied, grinning widely and completely oblivious to Eddy’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction. Ed was positive that everyone loved the small fluffy creatures just as much as he did. 

“Your turn Double D, open it open it!” 

Edd laughed and turned to his own, smaller package. Careful and precise he slid his fingers underneath the tape, careful not to rip the wrapping even though it was probably far beyond any repair or saving. Even still, it was a thing with him and it took him a minute to undo the entirety of the present. He looked down and smiled genuinely; it was a Disturbed CD. 

“Oh thank you, Ed. This looks delightful.” He was always excited to try out new types of music and he had been reading recently how rock and metal bands often used similar techniques to classical musicians to compose their music. He would have to listen to this soon. He set the CD safely to the side and opened up his sparkling cider and took a swig. 

This would be a good night. He was sure of it.

Eddy looked at the CD and then up back at Edd. He didn’t say anything about that, but he didn’t have to. Once Ed and Eddy had started to feel the effects of their drinks, they had convinced the other to play it on the laptop, attempting to sing along and failing horribly. 

The night passed in a blur, both Ed and Eddy had finished off the bottle in an hour, throwing popcorn at one another and laughing at whatever the news anchor had said on the television with Edd tsking them about their behavior. But even then it wasn’t nearly as stern as it could have been; it was a party after all. 

Or as much of a party as the three of them could make of it. 

Edd had watched as Ed and Eddy consumed the amber alcohol quickly, himself finishing off his sparkling cider more slowly despite its non-alcoholic nature, and delved into what could only be considered ‘drunk’. Or at least drunk by 13-year-old standards. When the two had finally passed out with Ed laying half way on top of Eddy and the two surrounded by a mess of blankets and popcorn and who-knows-what-that-stain-was, Edd felt a little bit relieved. 

Parties were nice, but somehow just not for him. Even with his two best friends. The mess around him was starting to get to him and make him feel itchy and antsy; absolutely no way to start a new year. 

After a few minutes of internal debate Edd decided he had to do something about it. So the teen stepped quietly over his passed out friends and into the rest of the house, determined to find a few cleaning supplies so he could welcome the new year in with what he enjoyed most: cleanliness.

\--  
Eugene sat at the couch in the living room, nursing the beer he had in his hand and watching as the latest pop-star bubble blonde sang on a brightly lit stage in Times Square. He was only half paying attention to what was going on, every now and then looking at the clock on the wall. It was dark in the room. The whole house was except for the kitchen and it was the only other source of light that didn’t come from the television.

Head resting against his hand he let a smile work its way on his face. The last couple days haven’t been so bad. Not nearly as bad as he had originally thought they would be. In fact they were proving to be quite interesting. 

He hadn’t been blind to his little brother and Edd doing their best to avoid him. But that didn’t bother him. In fact it just made things all the more interesting. It meant that Edd was still uncomfortable around him, and it meant that this ‘project’ he had decided to take on involving the young teen was going to prove to be worthwhile. 

Eugene chuckled softly to himself, the beer bottle just inches away from his face. He heard the sound of someone walking around the hall and glanced at the clock once again. 

It was almost 11:30 PM. He hadn’t heard any other noise come from pipsqueaks’ room. 

He knew they wouldn’t have lasted long. 

He also knew by the way sockhead spoke and moved he wouldn’t be one for drinking anything stronger than wine at most. 

His smile widened as he heard the whispered voice of the young teen come from the kitchen.

“Oh where could you be? I am sure they must have some cleaners somewhere,” Edd mumbled to himself as he began opening cabinets and drawers as quietly as possible. He knew Eddy’s parents and grandmother were out of the house, over at other relatives for the night, but he didn’t want to disturb Eugene and risk alerting the man to his whereabouts or the fact that he was outside of Eddy’s room, alone. 

It seemed his efforts were for naught, however, when he glanced over and noticed the gentle glow of the television screen bouncing off the walls leading from the living room. Internally he chastised himself; he should have checked before talking to himself. 

He was so used to being in a house alone that adjusting to others was still taking some time. 

He held his breath and hoped that Eugene hadn’t heard him. It was all too tempting to retreat back to the safety of Eddy’s room, as safe as the room could be with the two others passed out and oblivious to the world, but the thought of returning to that mess of a room was enough to keep him torn and frozen in place.

Eugene raised a brow when he heard nothing else and finished his beer, taking the last few gulps down into his mouth. With a sigh he got up and stretched, turning the volume up on the television to make sure his steps weren’t heard. Once that was done he made his way into the kitchen, moving as quietly as possible and feigning surprise when he saw Edd standing there. 

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” he asked, a smirk on his lips as he walked over to the fridge beside the teen. Opening the door he took out another beer and opened the cap with his teeth.

The sound of teeth scraping against the metal cap made Edd’s skin crawl and he shuddered involuntarily. 

He had hesitated too long and now he had to deal with Eugene in a house whose only other occupants were the passed out Eddy and Ed. 

Edd felt a little uneasy. 

“It’s New Year’s Eve,” Edd replied slowly, trying not to stare at the way Eugene gulped down the beer, the sight only adding to his sleazy appearance. “I feel it only appropriate to welcome the New Year properly awake.” 

It seemed the lack of interaction with the older man the past week only served to make Edd all the more awkward around him. He was so uncertain of what to expect and uncertainties made Edd uncomfortable in the worst ways. All he desired was a solid explanation, or at least an idea, of where conversations and events would lead. With Eugene everything was merely guess work and possible probabilities.

Eugene looked down at the boy from his nose and licked up the little bit of beer at the corner of his mouth. Letting the bottle dangle between his fingers he closed the door to the fridge and leaned against the counter, throwing the cap out into the garbage just a foot away from him. 

“The other two passed out on you, didn’t they?” he asked, deciding to let up on the teasing somewhat. “I’m not surprised. Personally I don’t know why you deal with that shit, but, I guess I can’t blame you,” Eugene said, taking another swig of his beer to hide the smile that threatened to appear. He could see the question in Edd’s eyes and the tension in his shoulders.

“Why’s that?” 

What was he thinking? Edd should just find the things he needed and get back to Eddy’s room before Eugene’s teasing picked up again. 

Edd’s hands came up to his hat and tugged at the edges. It was a nervous habit he hated that came out when he was around Eddy’s brother and adults. Green eyes tried to look everywhere but Eugene’s which seemed to bore through him with their intensity. Why did he keep looking at him like that? Edd shifted from foot to foot, wondering vaguely how many steps it was back to Eddy’s room and if he or Ed had managed to wake up yet.

Eugene raised a brow and took another sip of his beer, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. 

“Because I can tell you care about them.” His voice surprisingly gentle in tone. “I can see it in the way you look at my brother and that big lumpy one.” 

Resting the rim of the bottle against his mouth, he let out a huff and turned his gaze to the television. From where he stood he could see it almost perfectly. He supposed now would be the best time to try and gain his trust. 

After all, when was he going to have another chance alone with the kid? 

“To be honest with you, I’m a little jealous of your relationship with them. Makes me think back on my childhood and the friends I had when I was your age,” he said wistfully, his eyes adopting a faraway look in them. 

“Hm.”

Was Eugene being... nice? 

Edd almost couldn’t believe it. 

That small glimmer of humanity he had seen in Eugene last week was surfacing again, this time with more force. Maybe Eddy’s brother wasn’t so bad after all. He seemed a little sleazy, and that stuff he pulled a couple years ago was pretty terrible, but Edd had an innate ability to see the best in people, even if they didn’t necessarily deserve it.

Benefit of the doubt was a positive quality, wasn’t it? Edd thought so; the only way to come to a positive conclusion was to continue on in a positive light. 

And so that’s what he gave Eugene: the benefit of the doubt. 

Even if the man did make Edd feel uncomfortable and his skin crawl. 

“What happened to them?” Edd asked, relaxing slightly. His hand stayed at the edge of his hat but it was quiet and still. This was the question that had burned him up a week ago and led to that odd conversation with Eddy that night. Now he could hear it from the source first-hand.

Eugene did his best to hide the grin behind his bottle, downing half of the drink in one go before he gave Edd his full attention. 

This was almost too easy. 

Maybe if he was lucky he’d be able to touch him. 

Not sexually of course. Not yet; he didn’t want to scare him off so soon. But maybe just a small brush of fingers or a bump of their knees. To do that, he had to get the boy to get closer to him. 

He knew exactly how to do it. 

He quickly changed his features, making himself look just a bit solemn. “It’s a long story. We said we’d stay in touch but I guess we just sort of...drifted,” he said with a shrug. 

“At least, one of them did. Daryl was one of them. A good guy, pretty chill and easy to get along with. But,” he paused, and began to move to the doorway, “I’m sure that isn’t something you wanna hear about, is it?”

Edd looked back at the closed door of Eddy’s bedroom. He thought he could hear Ed’s snores coming from within, meaning that both boys were still passed out. Eugene was being so sincere and actually opening up to him for some reason. Maybe if he talked with the man he could help Eddy’s relationship with his brother more. And since the boy was asleep, it wouldn’t hurt to try, right? 

Edd shook his head as he turned back to Eugene, now standing in the doorway to the living room. 

“No, I don’t mind...” he mumbled, trying not to sound too friendly or too eager. In truth the curiosity had begun to nibble at him again, driving him to continue wanting to talk to the man.

Eugene let out an amused sound and motioned with his head for the boy to join him the living room. 

“Well, if you’re sure. It wouldn’t hurt to at least be comfortable while I bore you,” he said, chuckling as he sat back down on the couch. There was just enough space for Edd to sit without being too close, but just small enough so Eugene could see him without having to move much. 

Almost through with his beer he looked at the clock. Ten more minutes until the ball dropped. For a moment he wondered if his parents were having as much fun as he was. 

He had to hide his smirk behind his hand and pretend to cough. 

He really doubted they were. 

Hesitantly Edd followed Eugene to the couch and sat next to him. The distance was a little close for Edd’s comfort in general; he could feel the heat radiating off Eugene’s body. Even still he tried to get comfortable, leaning into the arm rest at his side and looking at the man next to him, waiting for him to continue.

“I met him when I was about 9. We were in detention together. Him and this other guy--much like your Ed--were just goofing off and it didn’t take long for us to get close. The other guys’ name was Charlie, but everyone called him Chuck for short. Once the guy had actually been convinced that all cats were girls and all dogs were boys.” He let himself laugh at that, sighing as he locked his gaze to the scene of the News Anchorwoman talking about how many people had actually showed up at Times Square.

Edd began to wonder if Eugene was really so different from his brother as he began to tell his story. From the sounds of it so far he wasn’t. What could turn someone like Eddy into someone like Eugene? It baffled him. This did not seem like the natural progression of things. Meaning only one thing: some sort of event must have triggered Eugene’s behavior. 

That was the logical conclusion. 

Edd laughed a little at the mention of ‘Chuck’; he was pretty sure Ed could believe that all on his own. 

“So you became friends like Eddy, Ed, and myself?” he probed. His eyes flicked over to the TV momentarily and realized that it was getting close to the New Year.

Dark eyes glanced at Edd, and the rest of the beer finished. Placing the beer bottle down on the floor he leaned back against the couch and put his feet up against the coffee table. 

Edd had to keep from cringing at the action. Did he realize how unsanitary that was? He made a mental note to clean it later, preferably before anyone used it tomorrow.

“You could say that,” Eugene said, examining his nails. “Before we moved here Daryl and me....well, I guess you could say we got a bit ‘closer’ than other boys our age. It wasn’t exactly normal then and kids can be little shit heads,” Eugene said, folding his hands together in his lap. 

“You actually kind of remind me of him. He had this problem with OCD. Always carried around a bottle of hand sanitizer and shit. He mothered me and Chuck a lot too. He did that for years until...” He paused, looking down at his pinky ring and biting his lip to keep himself from smiling. 

No, he had to be serious. 

“Until I was the only one left he could care for.”

 

Edd kept staring at the table until what Eugene was saying sunk in. Daryl... his and Eugene’s relationship sounded a lot like his and Eddy’s. Though, Edd wouldn’t consider him and Eddy any closer than normal friends. 

Yet, he wasn’t so sure his grasp on ‘normal’ was entirely accurate all the time either. 

“What.... what happened?” Now Edd was turned toward Eugene, searching his face for the answer in attempts to read the emotion there. Edd’s brows furrowed and his hands came up to tug on his hat again, making sure it was still snuggly on his head and covering his hair.

Keeping his expression blank Eugene kept his eyes on the screen, watching as the ball at Times Square slowly started its decent. 

“We didn’t know how bad it was. Chuck had been sick for a long time and for a while we just believed what our parents told us. That he was just a little more frail than the others. One day we just went to school and he wasn’t there anymore.” He threw a humorless smile Edd’s way, turning his full attention to him. 

“I don’t think I need to tell you what happened to him, do I?” 

It was taking everything he had to keep his face straight. He couldn’t believe how easily Edd was playing into all of it. Granted, some of what he was saying was true. He gave the teen a sad smile. 

“Looks like I brought down the mood, huh? Well, there is just a couple seconds left of the year. Might as well start off fresh.”

 

Edd made a low humming noise in the back of his throat and turned to the television. 

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said finally, even though it felt trite and hollow. That’s what you were supposed to say though, right? When someone lost a loved one. 

The ball was descending faster and faster on the screen. A new year was coming. Edd sighed a little. New Year’s meant new beginnings, new opportunities. 

It felt fresh. 

Edd liked fresh. 

And maybe with the freshness of the New Year he could let go of his predisposed feelings towards the man beside him. 

He didn’t seem so bad after all.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. It was a long time ago.” Eugene allowed a genuine smile to come across his face. And as the ball reached the bottom, he risked the chance to actually touch the teen. 

It wasn’t much, just a pat on the hand. 

But it was enough. 

Edd’s skin was actually pretty soft, and the apologetic look on his face told Eugene he had gotten to him. 

It was small, but he had planted that seed of doubt that lead Edd to believe Eugene wasn’t such a bad guy. That was all he needed, at least for now. Soon the sounds of the people in Times Square counting down reached his ears. Once the number one had been sounded and loud voices of Happy New Year shouted, the older male looked to the screen and saw scenes of people kissing, bringing in the New Year like many others had before them. 

The touch startled Edd at first. Eugene’s skin was warmer than he was expecting and the touch altogether wholly unexpected. Then the sudden noise from the TV reminded him that the New Year was upon them. He watched as the cameras panned to kissing couples in Times Square, the scenes making him blush a little, and he almost missed the pad of Eugene’s thumb running over his knuckles. 

Almost. 

“Happy New Year Princess,” Eugene said before he got up off the couch, leaving Edd alone in the living room. 

Once in his own bedroom Eugene couldn’t keep his laughter from bubbling up.

 

Edd didn’t get a chance to reply with his own ‘Happy New Year’ before Eugene was gone, disappearing into his room. For a moment he sat, listening to the cheers still coming from the TV and stared at the hand in his lap. 

He was left feeling... odd. Yet not altogether unhappy. Just somewhat still processing the new information that speaking with Eugene had given him. Maybe there was hope for him and Eddy’s relationship after all. 

The thought made him smile and made his heart jump a little.

===


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually only half of the original Chapter 5 Nori and I wrote. It ended up being so long we had to split it up as we were hesitant to cut anything from it. There’s still some GOOD STUFF in this chapter, but most of the best stuff is in Chapter 6. Sorry to make you wait longer!! 
> 
> Please note that this chapter marks the beginning of some uncomfortable things such as pedophilia, child grooming, dub con, etc. Please note this is a work of fiction and neither Nori nor I condone such activities outside of such.

New Year’s came and went and with it Edd returned back home. Shortly after the Holidays school started back up and things began to feel normal once more, the freshness of Edd’s time at Eddy's fading as new memories were made and the excitement of returning to school overtook him. He heard from Eddy (or more accurately Eddy complaining about it every lunch period) that Eugene had left but shortly returned to stay with his family; something about needing to evacuate his trailer for a few weeks or something. Edd sort of shrugged it off but still secretly hoped the relationship between the two would improve. 

Somehow. 

It was two weeks after school started back up that a snowstorm hit and caused one of Edd's least favorite times of the year: a snow day. School had been cancelled for the day and instead of taking a quiz in biology and studying equations in math he was now caught in the crossfire of a very intense snowball fight.

These never ended well for Edd.

Eddy grinned as he rolled a ball of snow in his mitten covered hands. It was already beginning to melt some and he could feel it soaking through his gloves. 

But that didn't matter. 

No, what mattered to him was the boy he had in his sights: a certain redheaded shovel chin who was beginning to look a little too cocky for his own good as he crouched down behind one of the neighborhood cars. 

As Ed continued to make snow balls and hurl them at the rest of the kids, Eddy made sure to wait for the precise moment before striking. It was when that red cap was seen peeking out that he made his move, throwing the snowball with all of his might and laughing when it made contact. 

"God damn it!" Kevin yelled, placing his hand on the spot that had been hit. "Eddy you little shit!" 

"Hahahaha! What's the matter Kevin? Can't dodge a little snow ball--oof!" 

Eddy's taunt had been cut short when a rather large snow ball was thrown into his mouth.

"Shut up Eddy!" Sarah yelled from behind a trash can where she had been hiding, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. 

"Ha-ha Sarah got you Eddy!" Ed laughed as he continued his assault on Rolf, the other twisting and turning to avoid the large oaf's hard throws. 

"Shut up Ed!" Eddy yelled, scowling at the redheaded girl, another snowball in his hand. As he got ready to throw it at her, he felt strong arms suddenly around his torso, and soon he was lifted up into the air. 

Meanwhile Edd tried his best to be everywhere the snowballs weren't. He hated being wet in his clothes more than he hated mud. 

And he really hated mud. 

The only place he had found safe was just behind the small wall of ice they had created. He hadn’t been hit yet, but managed to still throw the occasional small ball of snow to appease Eddy's insistence that he participate in this barbaric activity.

"Your reign of terror ends now short Ed boy!" Rolf shouted, grabbing Eddy, then Edd, around the middle and using his foot to knock over a large shovel full of snow at the other, taller Ed. 

"Let go of me Rolf!" 

"Oh I shall let go of you, right into the frozen hell from which you came!"

That was the last thing Eddy heard before both Edd and himself were thrown into a rather large pile of snow.

"AUUUUUGH," was all the lanky teen could manage as he was submerged unceremoniously into the snow alongside Eddy. Vaguely he heard the foreign boy laugh and Kevin congratulating him followed by Ed's calls that he was coming to help, then a crashing sound as what sounded like Sarah stopped that plan in its tracks.

Edd had no idea where Rolf had come from; all he knew was that suddenly there was snow and lots of it everywhere. In his hat down his shirt he thought he even felt some in his shoes and it was all very much not okay. 

With a huff Edd fought his way out from his frozen entrapment and stood, trying to brush most of the snow from his gloves before turning and helping Eddy up.

"And you wonder, Eddy, why I constantly insist on my non-participation of this outdated pastime. I am covered in snow and I think it's beginning to melt in my socks."

Eddy grumbled as he got back on his feet, brushing the snow out of his hair and clothes. 

"Hey don't look at me, I didn't start it!" He said with a scowl, feeling the chill from the melting snow creeping down inside his clothes. "It was shovel chin who threw the first snow ball! I was just defending myself." 

Kevin looked up from behind the cars when he heard his name, arms crossed over his chest and his brows furrowed in agitation. 

"Where do you get off saying some bullshit like that? You're the one who started it, Dork! If it wasn't for that stupid scam you tried to pull with those sophomores from the High School none of this would'a happened!"

Edd shook his head at the two boys’ bickering.

Eddy huffed and turned his back, shivering a bit from the cold. 

"Come on Ed, we're going to the coffee shop to warm up. You coming Double D?"

"No, I believe I will go change into some warm clothes if that is alright,” Edd replied cautiously, “I can meet up with you two in a little bit?" The question was hopeful, not wanting Eddy to argue it or make a comment about his odd OCD tendencies. The wetness was making its way to his skin and he felt clammy and gross; it was pertinent that he rid himself of the wetness at once.

He knew a warm change of clothes would make him feel much better and make him more personable all around. Some hot cocoa did sound lovely, but only when he was nice and dry. Besides, he could catch a cold and if there was anything that Edd hated more than wetness and mud it was being sick.

“Okay, suit yourself. Want me to get you anything?" Eddy asked, already starting the short trek to the warm store at the end of the block. The promise of hot chocolate and a couple warm cookies was sounding pretty good.

"No I'm alright. Thank you, I'll see you two in a few!" Edd waved to his friends as they continued walking, shortly taking a corner and disappearing from sight. Edd turned and began walking toward his house, hands going in and out of pockets to locate his house keys.

He stopped walking and frowned. 

He couldn't find his keys anywhere. 

Maybe they had fallen out somewhere during the snowball fight? Edd sighed and turned around. Maybe if he was lucky he could find them in the snow somewhere. Edd normally kept a spare under the mat of the side entrance but it had turned up missing. 

The teen started where he had been hiding last, by the makeshift snow built wall, but when he had no luck he began to track further to where the fight had begun just outside of the school.

_____

Eugene sighed as he brought the hot mug of coffee to his lips, taking a sip and enjoying the slightly bitter taste as his eyes roamed the newspaper in front of him. He would glance every now and again out the kitchen window, watching as a few snowflakes fell much more softly then they had hours before.

For once he was actually kind of glad to be home. The trailer wasn't exactly well heated. Looking up at the clock mounted on the wall he let a smile pull at his lips. It was almost 3 o'clock. Which meant pipsqueak has been let out of school. 

Letting out a small yawn Eugene finished his cup of coffee and left the open newspaper on the table. Once in his room he relaxed up against the bed and allowed his eyes to fall shut, moving his arm up under the pillow and feeling the metal of the spare house keys touch his fingers. 

"Whoops..." He said, pushing it out from under the pillow and onto the floor behind the bed.

____

Edd sighed. 

Keys nowhere to be found, he debated with himself: go to the coffee shop, wet and anxiety-ridden? Or try to keep looking for his keys?

Suddenly a third option presented itself: his spare set of clothes at Eddy's. He had left at least a shirt and maybe a pair of pants there on accident. Well, not really accident more so they had gotten caught up in a load of laundry while he was staying there and then got mixed up with some of Eddy's clothes. Edd had kept forgetting to retrieve them. 

Now he was suddenly thankful for that slight oversight. He made his way to Eddy's house and opened the door leading directly to Eddy's room. The teen tsked quietly, chastising Eddy for leaving it unlocked, even if it did play into his favor at this particular moment. 

The room he walked into was a disaster zone. It was very apparent that Eddy hadn't cleaned anything since Edd's stay; there were dirty clothes everywhere and half-eaten plates of food here and there. Edd cringed. How could his friend live in such filth? 

He shook his head and began searching for his rogue clothes. It became very apparent very quickly that this may be an even more futile endeavor than trying to find his house keys in the snow.

____

Eugene turned his head toward the wall. His room connected right next to Eddy's, so when he heard the sound of someone entering from the back door he sat up a bit and listened. It wasn't like Eddy to be home this early. Usually the kid was out for another hour before coming home, even with the snowy day, usually waiting until just the last minute before their parents came home from work. 

That was when he realized there was no way the little pipsqueak would be home. Not this early and he sure as hell wasn't this quiet when he came back either. The young teen had a habit of bringing the other two Ed's with him, and when shouts of chickens and his brothers annoyed grunts didn't meet his ears his smile widened. 

That left only one other person. 

____

Edd had given up search of his clothes. It was hopeless. He had even tried to find a clean set of Eddy's clothes but to no avail.

How did Eddy stand this? 

It was frustrating Edd more than it should have, no doubt his agitation further fuelled by his wet clothes becoming wetter and colder by the minute. With a frustrated sigh he shrugged off his coat and shucked off his gloves and boots. The least he could do was try to let them dry out a little before going back out there. Which is what he was going to have to do, wet clothes or not, eventually, as Eddy and Ed would be wondering where he was.

____

 

Getting up from his bed Eugene made his way to his door and stood just outside of Eddy's bedroom. 

Just like his little princess to be all about keeping things clean; he heard the boy make a disgusted noise as the sound of something squishing from inside reached his ears. 

Eugene schooled his expression blank and let himself in, clearing his throat as he did so and took in the state of the room before his eyes landed on Edd. 

"Hey Princess, where's your entourage?" he asked, giving an honestly disgusted look when he caught sight of clothes and dirty dishes piled in the corner.

"Eugene!" Edd was only a little surprised by the man's entrance. He had momentarily forgotten about his habitation of the house. Yet, somehow he felt more relieved than agitated at his sudden appearance. 

Maybe he knew if Eddy had any clean clothes. 

Edd's agitation at the whole situation subdued any lingering feelings of discomfort he had around the other for the moment. 

"They are at the coffee shop. Do you know where Eddy may keep his clean clothes? I was on the losing end of the cul-de-sac snowball fight and I thought I had left a change of clothes here..." he trailed off and looked around the room absentmindedly, hand coming up to adjust his hat that had come slightly askew with the removal of his coat. 

Great. 

His hat was soaked too. 

But that would have to wait for later. He so hated being seen without his hat and he knew he probably had terrible, unsightly hat hair that was unfit for eyes other than his own.

Tilting his head slightly, Eugene let his eyes roam over the other for a moment. Even in the warm room he could see the teen was beginning to get a little shiver. He didn't say anything, but motioned for Edd to follow him and led him into his room.

Edd followed with only a slight hesitation. Getting out of Eddy's room would definitely improve his mood a little; he longed for something a little cleaner, and was quite surprised to see Eugene's room offered that. 

"Take a seat wherever. It sure as hell beats sitting in that dump, doesn’t it?" he asked, a smile beginning to show. "I'm sure Mom has some clean clothes in the dryer. I'll be back in a sec."

There were a few things out of place here and there, but altogether not too bad. Edd had figured Eugene would be quite like Eddy and have an aversion to picking up his clothes or taking his plates to the kitchen. Maybe it was because he didn't live here most of the time that he was able to keep things so clean. Even though that was most likely the case the sight still pleased Edd and calmed his nerves a little.   
Though Eugene had told him to take a seat Edd made note that the only place to sit in the room was Eugene's bed. That didn't sit quite right with the lanky teen so he chose to stand, instead walking around and taking in his surroundings further. It wasn't nice to pry, he thought, but as he was invited into the room it wouldn't hurt to look. Maybe he could find some commonality between him and Eddy that could allow the brothers to bond a little. The thought made Edd smile. 

Until his eyes fell on an opened magazine, cover up, sitting on a shelf by Eugene's bed. 

The cover alone made him flush crimson. 

It depicted a man, very well built and scantily clad, in a compromising position. 

Edd turned away immediately and tried to get the blush on his cheeks to subside.

____

Eugene's smile didn't leave as he walked down the hall and into the laundry room. He had told the truth about the laundry, there were a couple pieces of clothing still in the dryer waiting to get folded. And a few of them were just a little bit damp from him throwing a couple shirts in there as the rest was drying. 

He smirked. 

"Can't give him wet clothes...looks like these will need a couple minutes," he said to himself, setting the time on the machine and leaning back against it. Glancing at his watch he knew he would be there for a good ten minutes at most. Just enough time for Edd to find the magazines he left behind and let his curiosity peek. 

Eugene had to bite his lip to keep himself from letting out a laugh. At the very least he'd be able to act embarrassed and pretend it was just a mistake. If he was lucky he'd be able to get Edd to ask a few questions about it, because fuck if the kid didn't at least think about it.

___

"Oh dear, oh dear." Edd was panicked. More panicked than he had been in Eddy's room. 

He was definitely regretting following Eugene into his room. 

He tugged on his hat, almost covering his eyes with it, and shifted from foot to foot. Sure he had seen some of Eddy's chick mags over the years, but with those he just got used to Eddy shoving them in his face. And they never really did anything for him anyway. He was quite aware of human anatomy from his studies and could never understand what it was the boy found so fascinating about them. 

Sure, they made him blush a little bit. Just like Nazz had made him blush when they were kids. But he respected Nazz and didn't like to think of her like Eddy thought of those girls in his magazines. 

Somehow Edd was completely taken by surprise by the knowledge that they also made male versions of those magazines. What kind of person looked at them, he wondered.

Eugene...? Did Eugene like those kinds of men like Eddy liked the kind of women in his magazines...? 

Suddenly all the comments Eugene had made about him and Eddy were put in a different context, and made Edd think. 

A few minutes passed and Edd's curiosity was growing. He wondered where Eugene was. He also debated if he should just leave now, avoid the situation all together.

But oh, the promise of warm, dry clothes... Edd had begun to shiver in his cold, wet garments and he could already start to feel a sniffle coming on. Who knew when he would be able to get back into his house again. Eddy's mother had a spare set of keys just in case but her return from work was hours from now. 

So Edd sighed and his mind was made up that he would stick around until Eugene returned with the clothes, then he could make a quick getaway. Hopefully without ever mentioning the magazine. 

Yet, his curiosity was becoming more than a gentle nag now. 

It had turned into a full blown need of discovery and inquiry. 

Damn his constant love of new knowledge! 

With another sigh and a quick glance at the door Edd turned around and walked toward the shelf that held the offending material. 

He could just take a quick peek before Eugene got back, just to see what it was all about. That would be fine, right?

Edd tried not to let his hand shake as he picked the magazine up between his thumb and forefinger, flipping it over. His next inhale was sharp, his eyes taking in the revealed pages and his heart skipping a beat. 

This... was absolutely lewd. 

WAY more lewd than Eddy's magazines had ever been. Edd felt his heart beat fast and his skin grow warm. He was so embarrassed. 

And even more curious.

Edd's fingers almost acted on their own, turning each page to reveal more men, each with less and less clothing, sometimes more than one in compromising positions and doing things that Edd never knew you could do with another man. 

And for the first time in his life he felt something stirring in the pit of his stomach. 

Was this what Eddy felt looking at his magazines? Edd wondered if this was what one normally experienced looking at these kinds of images. 

His logical mind (which was quickly becoming clouded with the humming of his heartbeat) realized that yes, this was normal for one of his age. He questioned if it was entirely normal for a BOY of his age to be reacting like he was at this particular kind of material, but he knew that that sometimes happened to. 

The stirring in his stomach had settled a little lower, making certain places of Edd also stir. 

A groan left the teen's lips involuntarily as his growing erection met the confines of his pants. 

Surroundings forgotten, Edd's attention was consumed with the images in his hand and the overwhelming urge to press his groin against anything and everything. 

He had never felt this way before; it was all so new and so exciting and Edd didn't know what to do with himself. His anxiety was also gone, something he only vaguely recognized in the heat of the moment. Going back to his studies of health books over the years he remembered reading one specific passage in a particularly odd 'health' book.

It had said something about a normal activity for boys during puberty that allowed them to relieve their frustrations. 

Edd wondered if this was what they meant by frustration. 

The teen shifted, which in turn made him gasp. The friction the movement had made against his erection was delightful. Edd shifted again resulting in the same reaction. 

Pressure and friction felt very, very good when one was frustrated. 

Edd had a theory, and with his current state of mind exploring that theory was more important than anything else in the world. So he let his free hand slip down his stomach to the front of his pants and rubbed himself.

Yes, his theory was proving correct. Intensified friction and pressure felt even better. 

Without even realizing it his hand began to move faster, exert more pressure, and his hips moved against his hand as his heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. 

Oh, this was marvelous.

___

Eugene hummed to himself as his fingers slid over the buttons of his blackberry phone, playing some odd game. He waited until he heard the familiar click of the dryer finally coming to settle and opened it. His hands went over the warm clothes for a moment, enjoying the heat that came off them before he pulled out a white button down shirt. It was a little too big for Edd, but it would have to do. 

Looking back at his phone he smirked when he noticed that quite a bit of time had passed. He had also noticed Edd hadn't come looking for him, and as he folded the shirt over his arm he took the rest of the clothes out and placed them in the basket that rested atop the washing machine before he left. 

Once nearing his room he heard the sounds of whimpering coming from within. The door had been left slightly open and Eugene couldn't keep the grin from appearing on his face. He opened the door a little bit more and peered in: the sight that met him had him biting his lip. 

There Edd was, leaning up against the wall with his hand down his pants and one of his magazines clutched in the other. 

The gasp that escaped the young teen's mouth made Eugene grip the shirt just a little bit tighter, causing it to wrinkle slightly. 

He could already feel his cock hardening in his pants and he wanted more than anything to have those full, soft lips on him. 

He couldn't do that just yet though. 

No, not yet. 

Soon enough. 

Now that he knew Edd was more than a little interested in men the rest would fall into place without much effort. 

Eugene grabbed his phone and took a quick shot of Edd as he was; if anything it would prove to be good material for later. Willing away his erection he did his best to think of anything else to get his mind off of the boy.

He didn't bother knocking when he came in. 

The desire for friction and the feeling that resulted from having it intoxicated Edd's mind. All of his senses were being overloaded and he could feel the heat growing and pooling in the hardness in his hand. 

Fuck, this felt good. 

"Humph. So Princess has a fetish. That's interesting."

Suddenly a voice Edd recognized tore him back to reality so fast it made his head spin. In his haste to pull out from his pants the button scraped against the back of his hand, stinging, while his other dropped the magazine it was holding like it had just burned him. 

"E-Eugene!" 

__________________


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: NC17  
> Warnings: Pedophilia, child grooming, dubcon, smut, creepy-mofo Eugene

\---  
Heat made Edd’s skin feel like it was on fire. The embarrassment washing over him mixed with shame as he began to realize exactly what he was doing. 

And exactly what Eugene had just seen. 

Simultaneously his heart wanted to jump out of his chest and Edd wanted to curl up and cease existing altogether. The back of his eyes burned. 

He wasn't going to cry.

No, no this was perfectly normal for boys to do and he just happened to get caught by Eddy's older brother. 

Except this wasn't normal for him to do and this was the same brother that mercilessly teased him and Eddy about being together. Now that teasing would never end and he could never live this down. Edd's gut reaction was to vow never to touch himself again. 

But damn it had felt good. 

And that tingling in his groin hadn't gone away, despite his embarrassment, which made him even more embarrassed as it pushed against his pants and he hoped Eugene couldn't see the bulge it made. 

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean..." Edd's voice cracked and he couldn't meet the man's eyes. He should just get out of there. Run away from this room and never come back. Or at least until Eugene wasn't there anymore. 

Too bad the small logical part of Edd's brain that had resurfaced told him that running would be all but impossible with what was between his legs at the given moment.

Eugene let out a sigh and picked up the magazine, giving Edd a look. 

"I see you found my porn. Just couldn't help yourself could you?" he said, keeping his tone light. He made sure to act as if this didn’t bother him. And it didn’t. But he was sure anything else would just have Edd in tears and he didn't want that. 

Not from embarrassment anyway. 

Edd raised the back of his hand to his mouth, trying desperately to will away both his blush and the tent in his pants.

Eugene sounded like he didn't care that he had just found Edd masturbating; it took the boy off guard. He supposed it was normal. The older man had probably done this himself many times, maybe even with that magazine too. That thought didn't help Edd get rid of his blush.

Internally Edd chastised himself; how could he be so stupid? He was a guest in another's room and he allowed himself to get caught up in the moment and perform such a lewd act. He shook his head in disgust at himself. 

 

Eugene glanced down and noticed the bulge in Edd’s pants; his red face was just so fucking cute. Eugene also took note of the small scratch on his hand and grabbed it. 

It was still warm, and he could feel a slight stickiness at the tips of the teen’s fingers. He nearly groaned at the feel of it. 

"Hurt yourself getting excited huh? It's cool, it happens," he said, running his thumb gently over the cut. There wasn't any blood, but the skin was beginning to raise and the color around it started to turn pink.

When Eugene ran his thumb over the stinging scrape on his hand was when Edd realized the man had taken his hand in the first place. The touch made his skin feel warm; the effects of his arousal making every part of his body extra sensitive. His first reaction was to jerk his hand away. 

He was in such a deplorable state. 

"It... it's dirty," he stuttered. He needed to wash himself before anyone else touched him.

"Dirty?" Eugene repeated the word, letting out a snort of amusement. He held onto the hand, his grip tight enough to keep it from slipping, but not so tight as to hurt him. Raising a brow he finally let go and kept the small distance between Edd and himself. 

"Have you never done this before?" 

Of course he hadn't. Eugene was merely asking to make the situation just a bit less awkward. Pretending he understood what the teen was going through was the best way to gain even more of his trust. He knew Edd was very new to all of this, the deep blush on his face told him as much. 

But, the kid was bold. 

Eugene hadn't expected Edd to actually do something like this; to touch himself, in his bedroom, to his magazines....

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. There was no use in thinking about that NOW, not when Edd was standing there still very much aroused and utterly humiliated. Despite the fact how tempting it was to just touch him a little bit more. 

Not yet. 

Not just yet.

Edd shook his head. He didn't trust himself to speak anymore, his throat feeling dry. When Eugene finally let go of his hand he took a step back to distance himself from the other. He didn't want him to feel the heat from his body or hear his heart that still felt like it was going far faster than was probably healthy.

He wanted to get out of there but moving was awkward and just shot jolts through his bones. The boy desperately kept willing himself to calm down. Where had his composure gone? 

This was almost worse than the anxiety he had been feeling before.

At least with that he knew he could return to his regiments, his labels, his order, and everything would feel normal. 

He didn't know how to make this feel normal, not at all. 

His eyes continued to avoid Eugene's, glancing everywhere but the other's face until it fell on the shirt still draped over Eugene's arm.

Oh, right. He had forgotten all about a change of clothes, so wrapped up in his own head and body and the internal heat he was feeling overriding the wet cold of the clothes that still clung to him.

"Are you okay? You can relax you know, it's not like I'm going to eat you or anything,” Eugene said, biting back the laugh that threatened to escape his throat. 

He could see Edd was doing everything he could to will away his arousal. Eugene swore if he held his breath he'd be able to hear the teen’s heart beat against his chest. 

Just then he wondered if maybe the idea of being caught was exciting to him. 

That would prove to be very interesting.

He furrowed his brow, and suddenly he gave a look of realization. "You never saw magazines with dudes in them did you?"

Eugene frowned slightly. His look of concern the only expression he could muster that didn't require much thought. 

"You do know this is normal right? Everyone does this. People even..." He paused. "Do it to each other you know." 

"I'm sorry, I just," Edd took a deep breath. His heartbeat was beginning to slow and Eugene sounded so understanding. He was making him feel normal for feeling this way. 

"No, I never realized they existed..." Shaking hands gripped at his shirt to have something to do. Once he felt his heart stabilize enough and the flush in his cheeks ebbed he met Eugene's eyes. 

Edd found no judgment there. 

Not like what he normally saw in his classmate's faces, those odd looks he was given when he said words that were a little bigger than normal or performed one of his many cleaning rituals. 

No, Eugene looked... like he saw Edd as normal. Average. Even though he caught him doing such a thing in his room with his magazine. 

"Is this really normal?" Edd's voice was small as he asked. Logically he knew it was, but he needed reassurance. Some sort of confirmation that it was okay to feel this way, despite years of sticky notes that implied otherwise.

Eugene let a smile slip. "Of course it is Princess. It's completely normal. Hell even I do it. Although...it's behind closed doors. But you know, to each their own." 

He shrugged and flipped through the magazine, stopping at a page that had been slightly crumpled from Edd's grip. He glanced in his direction. 

"I can't say if looking at GUYS while jacking off is normal but...it's not like I can blame you," he said, tossing the magazine on the bed and turning to face him. His eyes moved quickly down again, resting on the bulge of Edd's pants for a moment before they settled on the teen's green ones. 

"You need help with that or something?" he asked teasingly.

Eugene's words both comforted Edd and brought about the familiar discomfort that came with interacting with the man.

He was quickly realizing that, while touching oneself was most likely normal, speaking about touching oneself with your best friend's older brother was decidedly not normal. When he saw the other's eyes dart down to his embarrassingly-still tented pants and back up Edd had to look away. 

"No... I should probably... go now," Edd said haltingly, glancing at the door. 

Where was he going to go, though? He didn't have the keys to his house, Ed's parents always made him lock his doors behind him, and he couldn't stand outside with this... predicament in his pants, which was stubbornly persistent. It was starting to become painful. Edd cursed his body for being so aroused still against his will. Didn't these things go away by now? 

It was rare, but Edd found himself utterly lost for what he should do. The teen that always seemed to have an answer for everything was taken aback by the unusual situation he was caught in. 

And Eugene was here to witness his downfall, making him uncomfortable in all the wrong ways.

"Look I get that this is embarrassing. But it's cool, really," Eugene said, moving in just a couple steps. 

"And, last I checked, leaving the house with a boner doesn't help much." His tone was teasing as he placed his hand against the wall, just next to the teen’s head, his dark eyes locked with Edd's wide green ones. 

"It's not so bad you know. I mean, I remember when I was your age and had this...'problem'," Eugene said. "Daryl actually helped out a couple times. And I helped him out too. Trust me when I say its way better than doing it yourself."

When Eugene stepped closer to Edd the boy could feel the heat of the man's body and the smell of cheap cologne and something distinctly 'male' hit his nose. He imagined it was probably what the men in that magazine would smell like. 

It turned him on a little more.

Eugene's proximity was making it more and more difficult for Edd to make a getaway, especially as he was being boxed in by the arm by his head and the dresser to his left. 

The mention of Daryl's name made Edd start. 

"You did... things... with Daryl?" he asked slowly. He remembered how Eugene and Daryl's friendship seemed so much like his and Eddy's. Yet... could he see himself doing this kind of thing with Eddy? 

Suddenly the idea didn't seem so completely out-of-the-blue.

 

"Yes, I did...." Eugene muttered, his breath quickening just a little. 

Fuck this kid was cute. 

The way his blush stained his cheeks and the look of need just did something to Eugene he didn't think possible. He tried to clear his head, but it was becoming difficult. 

Edd was playing right into his hands. 

"And I could do the same for you if you want. All I need is for you to say it," he said, tossing the shirt onto his desk and reaching in to brush his fingers over Edd’s cheek. The heat that came off his skin was so intense. It took all of Eugene’s will power to keep himself from just taking him right then and there. 

He wanted to hear him moan and gasp his name on all fours, to see him unable to think and cum all over his sheets. 

But most of all, he wanted to see how far he could be pushed.

Edd's blush deepened as he leaned against the wall behind him, the pressure making his wet shirt stick to the hot skin of his back. He let out a sigh; it felt good. 

He was starting to get a little desperate for… something. The hardness in his pants was becoming harder to ignore and his fingers twitched, wanting to get back to their previous place in his underwear. 

Maybe Eugene was right. Maybe it was totally normal for guys to help each other out. That's what friends did, right? He wasn't sure how much of a friend Eugene was, but he seemed like an easier and more likely candidate than the other two Ed's. 

Either of which would probably have reacted much, much differently to catching him in such a disheveled state.

Long fingers travelled down Edd's neck, resting there and taking a lock of black hair between his fingers. Eugene's own erect cock hidden under thick denim jeans pushed against his zipper; all the while he kept his face calm and understanding.

"It's not so unheard of. It was just hands..." he said. "And I trusted him, just like he trusted me." Eugene could see Edd was thinking it over. "We wouldn't do it with just anyone."

Eugene's fingers felt surprisingly good against Edd’s skin. The caress was soft, just like when he had touched his hand on New Year's, and made a moan catch in Edd's throat. 

His head was becoming clouded again, caused by memories of the images from the magazine bubbling in the back of his head and the thrumming of the pulse of his blood in his ears. The touch of another person while he was in this state was almost intoxicating. And when that hand slipped down to his neck Edd's head tilted to the side without him realizing, allowing the man more room to explore the smooth skin. 

A clouded mind came with clouded judgment. 

"Can I trust you?"

The question was raised, but the judgment had already been made; it said that Eugene could be trusted. He had shown a part of himself to Edd during New Years and even now, he seemed like a good guy. 

A good guy that could help Edd out in his time of need. 

And he needed it. 

Edd’s breath was starting to quicken, the closeness of the other getting to him as their body heats mingled and made him feel like he was burning from the inside out.

Eugene's smile widened, and he nodded. 

"Of course you can, Princess," he said, voice soft. 

He took the question as permission enough and leaned in, close enough to Edd's mouth that he could almost taste him. He didn't kiss him however; instead he allowed the fingers that made circles on his skin to move down, slowly at first. 

He wanted to feel everything, take his time. 

At a near painful pace he felt at the damp fabric of Edd's shirt, making out the small bump of his nipple through it. Upon hearing him gasp Eugene rested his forehead against the boy’s. 

"You like this, don't you?" he asked, his index finger circling around the small nub in Edd's shirt. "Me touching you...feels good, don’t it?" 

And it did. It felt so fucking good to be able to touch Edd like this. Fingers continued their decent, hesitating for just a moment before his hand delved down into the teen’s pants, teasing his cock, fingers instantly becoming wet from the pre-cum at the tip.

"It feels... pleasurable," the boy managed to get out the words before a moan left his lips. He didn't know he could make those kind of noises; it sounded so primal, so completely un-Edd.

He closed his eyes as Eugene's hand began to move. His embarrassment wouldn't allow him to watch the man's face as he touched him. 

And oh, how he touched him. 

He could feel Eugene's breath quicken against his cheek the moment before his hand took hold of his erection. The moment that skin hit skin it felt like an explosion had gone off in Edd's chest. His whole body tingled, fingers gripping at nothing against a smooth wall and his knees going a little weak. He wondered how long they would hold him if this kept up. 

But oh, it felt so, so good. So much better than anything Edd had ever experienced before. 

Better even than a whole case of jawbreakers. 

The sounds continued slipping out of Edd's mouth against his will. Small whimpers and moans as the sensations coursed through him, making his skin prickle and the hairs at the nape of his neck stand on end.

Hearing the teen moaning like this was almost enough to make Eugene cum in his pants right then and there. He was the one who reduced Edd to this state, bucking against his hand and wordlessly asking for more. And who was he to deny such a request? Especially when the noises that came from Edd were as pretty as this. 

God he wanted to make him scream. 

If he was honest with himself Eugene could've sworn right then and there he had never seen a more beautiful sight. Lips parted as moans escaped them, the sound of nails running over the walls, looking for something, anything to hold onto. It really was something. 

And he knew that now that he had seen it, he was going to make sure he kept seeing it.

Eugene's other hand quickly came up to cup Edd's chin, his thumb brushing over that pink bottom lip, pressing against it. He could feel Edd was close, so with a wide grin he softy whispered next to his ear, "Cum for me Princess."

And he did, hard, in Eugene's hand. 

He couldn't stop it even if he wanted to. 

Eugene's request was so... filthy. 

Edd never knew something so filthy could be so arousing.

And in that instant he saw spots behind his eyes, making his vision go almost black. His knees, no longer able to hold the shaking weight of his body, gave out and he sunk to the floor, breathing hard as he tried to catch his breath. 

The tingling he had felt all over moved to his toes and fingertips, causing them to curl and a shiver to run through him. 

If he had known it would feel that good he would have done it much sooner. 

It was a few moments before the teen could regain any semblance of composure that allowed him to open his eyes and look up at the man that still stood above him. 

"Is it always that astounding?" he asked, his voice quiet and hoarse.

Curiously Eugene examined some of the spunk that had been left before he wiped it off on the Kleenex tissue he grabbed from his desk. 

"Yes, it is. And it gets even better when...other things are involved," he said with a lewd smirk. "But I think you've had enough for now, haven't you?" 

This had definitely been interesting. He was still hard in his pants but what he saw was enough that it wouldn't take long to solve that issue. Knowing he had the picture in his blackberry did good to help him relax some, and he helped Edd up from the floor. Sitting him on the bed, Eugene handed him the clean clothing he had taken from the dryer earlier and looked at the clock. 

"Knowing Pipsqueak he's gonna be looking for you soon. Not that I didn't enjoy this time together." 

And that was the truth.

The mention of Eddy made Edd's world come crashing back around him and the realization of what had just happened sunk in as the haze wrapped around his brain lifted. 

He had just allowed Eugene, Eddy's brother, whom the boy detested, touch him in ways that Edd hadn't even touched himself. 

Not even a moment later Eugene heard the sounds of his little brother bursting through the backdoor and gave Edd a look. "I'll keep him busy."

Edd flushed again, this time out of pure embarrassment and shame than arousal. He heard the click of Eugene's door close as the man left, followed by muffled conversation. Not wanting to arouse any suspicion Edd changed quickly into the clean clothes, thankful to shed his wet and now dirty garments. Once he was done he stood and took a few deep, measured breaths. 

He wouldn't mention a word of this to Eddy. 

He couldn't. 

When he heard the sound outside the door fade he knew it was safe to step out, wet clothes gathered up and in hand. He found Eugene and Eddy in the kitchen and managed to give a small smile when Eddy noticed him.

The small frown that graced Eddy's lips showed of his annoyance. 

"Double D, where the hell were you? We waited for like 45 minutes!" 

Eugene sat at the table, keeping his gaze on the paper, another cup of coffee in his hands. 

He wouldn't look up; He didn't have to. 

He had already known the mark he had left on Edd would be enough to have him coming back. He grinned behind his coffee cup when he heard Edd give the short teen his apology, sighing as he took a sip of the hot liquid. 

No...This wasn't going to be the last time he'd have Edd in his room. 

Not if he had anything to do about it.


End file.
